Flashback
The day had long since fallen into night, the moon rearing high in the sky as two people, one a tall man and the other a small child, walked quietly along the road of Privet Drive, where the child's guardian's lived. The man's eyes narrowed and he knelt down, lightly stroking the cheek of the bright eyed 9 year old at his side and wiped away the nearly hidden tear from child's eye, the man smiled softly and lightly tilted the 9 years olds chin up so they met eyes. Green eyes wobbled tearfully as the child looked away from the hell house where he had grown up most of his life, the house he hated beyond measure. The old man smiled and held out his arms, bracing himself as the child leapt into his arms, burying his head into the old man's shoulder.
"Timoteo.. Do I have to go back?" The child said softly, lifting up a small hand to scrub at the tears which were suddenly streaming down his cheeks in rivulets of crystal. The old man shook his head fondly at the young boy and held him tighter.
"As much as I'd love to have you stay with me, Harry, you aren't my child and I can't look after you." Timoteo, gently released Harry, holding out a white card which he slid into Harry's shirt pocket. "If you ever need me, give me a call, okay?"
Harry could only rely on his training to blank his face and he nodded. "You know I won't call you, Timoteo." His voice unnaturally serious for a 9 year old. "I'll only call you if he finds me, you're too busy to take calls from a kid." Timoteo knelt, his eyes closing slightly as he sighed, grasping Harry's hands against him.
"Harry. Listen to me. I have one last bit of advice, as your teacher, he uses a spell, one that causes pain but when you have too much pain, you can over come it by accepting the pain, its like excepting that body is hurting and that the hurt will fade, then you're used to it." Timoteo said softly to Harry, who nodded.
"Alright, Timoteo. I-if you see Riven.. Please tell him that he should be careful, okay?" Timoteo nodded and Harry went crimson as he mumbled. "I'll miss you." The old man chuckled his deep chuckle and planted a kiss on Harry's brow.
"and I you, my little protégé." Timoteo smiled, standing up and nodding slightly to the group of men who surrounded the black limo they had come out of, the men got the car ready while Timoteo lead Harry to the door of his house. "Forgive me, Harry." Timoteo said as he knocked lightly and slid silently away from the trembling boy, Timoteo paused while entering the car, watching with sad eyes as Harry was yanked in the house by a horse-like woman who was scowling while her eyes darted about.
"STUPID BOY, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" The roar came from the house, it was Harry's uncle. Timoteo shut his eyes in pain, his expression tightening, he turned as a hand rested lightly on his shoulder, it was one of his men, who was smiling sorrowfully at him. He had found Harry just days after Riven disappeared, Harry was upset and covered in bruises. Timoteo, in his limited position, took Harry from his relatives without telling them why and trained him for a year and a half. Harry, in that short amount of time, made friends, learnt a lot about how to survive and anything he would need for the future but it was all far too good to be true because Timoteo, at risk of being arrested for kidnapping, was forced to take Harry back to that house.
"Lets go, Boss." The man said softly, Timoteo slid into the car, turning towards his adopted son of 11 years and smiled, Xanxus blinked at him with an expressionless face and turned his head to look out the back of the car as the door slammed open and the boy who had just entered was thrown out of it and into the fence, already covered in blood. That scene settled the seeds of hatred in his heart for the first time, the blank slate of a child was soiled with the crimson of blood and his future was set.
Flashback end
Harry lifted his head and shook it, water flying off as he tore the memories viciously away. He quickly emptied the sink and dried his hands smiling when Nana passed the bathroom, her smile soothing his heart. Harry left the bathroom quietly, shutting the door and going down the stairs where the morning fiasco of breakfast had finished. Harry, who had just completed his university degree in the institution, didn't have to go anywhere like school or work today and decided that he was going to explore the town that he hadn't had a chance too see. Something in this town unsettled him, a cold shadow watching everyone, teeth gleaming brightly.
Harry shook his head and opened the kitchen door, his appearance gaining a few glances but most were focused on the mini fight between Lambo and I-pin, the two chasing each other around them in confusing circles. He went up to Tsuna and lightly tapped him on the shoulder, a soft smile on his features as Lambo leapt up into his arms and sat lightly on his shoulder.
"Boss, I'm planning on going out for a bit today, if you need me.." Harry fished out a scrap of paper and a pen and scrawled a number on the paper, he handed it to Tsuna who nodded, slightly shocked.
"You have a mobile?" Tsuna said, shocked. He himself didn't have one and he was pretty sure that none of his friends did either.
"Yes." Harry said, noting Tsuna's expression and plotting something with a smile. This would be his present to his boss and fellow guardians. Reborn winked at him and leapt onto his other shoulder, looking down at Tsuna.
"I will go with him, Tsuna." Reborn said to the young boss. Reborn and Tsuna's relationship had long since changed to one more like comrades than tutor and student. Tsuna nodded in acceptance, quickly finishing off his breakfast and noticing that he was once again late.
"WAHH! I'm late!" Tsuna yelled. Lambo laughed loudly, I-pin following along and then it all kicked off. Laughing softly, Harry and Reborn slipped out of the house unnoticed in the chaos. Reborn leapt off his shoulder and followed along via the wall, his black eyes flat and calm as always.
"Why did you really want to come Reborn?" Harry murmured softly as he walked, unawares to where he was going but walking anyway.
Reborn's face tilted slightly and a smile quirked his lips. "I wanted to see what you were plotting, you had that look on your face." Reborn said with a grin, his eyes half shadowed by the brim of his hat. "Besides, you always have a knack for trouble, I like the excitement."
Harry chucked softly. "Watch it old man, that doesn't sound too good coming out of your mouth."
Reborn laughed loudly, an uplifting emotion filled him and it took him a moment to realize that it was happiness. For the first time in 13 years, since Harry and Reborn parted ways, he was happy. Harry was looking at him with a fond smile and Reborn, to break the moment, mock growled. "Who're you calling old? I'm just a baby you know." Reborn snarled jokingly.
"A gun shooting, suit wearing, home tutoring Mafioso baby, who can talk." Harry replied, used to these little mock battles.
".. I'm a very smart baby!" Reborn trailed off pathetically, coughing as he went bright red.
"Reborn, will you tell me about what happened to you?" Harry said softly, looking down to his feet. Reborn didn't speak for a while, his breathing the only sign that he hadn't run off before he muttered quietly.
"Okay."
The sun was setting by the time Squalo arrived at the Vongola X's house, he sighed as he perched on a near by roof, looking down at the items in his hands and then leaping downwards towards the door. He landed hard and raised his spare fake hand to knock lightly on the door. A voice from within mumbled something and a couple of seconds later the door opened to reveal a smiling brown haired woman. Squalo noticed that hers eyes narrowed knowingly for the briefest of seconds before she had on that same smile again and she murmured.
"Hello there, how may I help you?" Nana murmured brightly.
"Is Sawada in?" Squalo said bluntly, his expression semi-polite as he tightened his grip on the box in his hands. The woman didn't seem surprised, she merely tilted her head towards the stairs and called out, "Tsuna, your friend's here, a silver haired man." Seconds later Tsuna was running down the stairs, a black haired person following down afterwards sedately, chatting with Reborn in soft tones. Squalo stared for a moment, trying to remember why that person seemed to familiar but it didn't come and Tsuna was suddenly next to him with Yamamoto leaning quietly against the wall and that black haired man eyeing him warily.
"Squalo! It's been a while!" Yamamoto said brightly though his hand rested gently on his sword.
"Squalo, do you have it?" Tsuna said eagerly.
"Yeah, its here but.. Who's Harry?" Squalo said rudely. Looking around with an irritated expression.
"That would be me, swordsman." Harry said softly, lightly taking the box from him with a glance at Tsuna, who nodded, and opening the letter. A key dropped into his hand and a letter followed. Harry raised his eyebrow curiously and read it.
Dear Harry,
It has been such a while since we spoke that I wonder what it is you look like now. 22, aren't you now? I looked for you after the war was over, you disappeared for a long, when that group appeared, those people that killed all of wizard kind, I feared you dead with everyone else but I still looked. What ever happened had you hidden well. Atrum Nex, that group named themselves well, dark death suits them.
Still, onto more important matters, in this box is two things you will find useful, one is a ring, all of the Vongola family's guardian's have a ring and each ring signifies the element and position of the guardian, this ring is a little different, it is of the same style as the Vongola X's ring but it has all of the elements on in as tiny black and red jewels, when each element is used around you or by you yourself, one of the jewel glows the elements colour. The jewels will flash a certain colour of that guardian is injured and if you use your dying will flames on the ring, you will automatically know where the person is, to an extent. Your element is signified by a moon symbol, you are the opposite of sun, you are a naturally quiet person who prefers to fade into the background, much like the Vongola I's best friend was.
The key unlocks the chain and when you unlock it put the ring on immediately because it is an uncontrollable ring when left on its own, the chain is a marmon chain that keeps its power in check. Also in the box are two sai, I taught you how to use them but you need to use your dying will flames, you have to feed them through the weapons to increase their power. I wish I could help you more.
Timoteo,
Vongola IX
Harry smiled fondly, his finger resting over the dying will flame that was Timoteo's seal, the fire didn't burn, it merely curved around his fingers, almost embracing him. "Timoteo." Harry breathed out, a beautiful smile on his face as he looked at the letter again. He snapped from his trance and unlocked the chains, feeling everyone's eyes on him. Harry gently slid the chains from the box and put them lightly on the stairs, opening the box, lined with black velvet, and lifting the ring up, feeling its power thrashing chaotically about.
It was a beautiful ring, as black as ebony but lined in silver, it was the exact shape of Tsuna's ring with a large moon resting on the front, around the moon tiny black and red jewels glittered, one of each of the guardians and one of Tsuna, Tsuna had the largest one that was resting right next to the silver moon symbol. Harry slid it on and immediately it felt… right, he felt his veins freeze and burn at the same time as black and red flames raced through every nerve and vein in his body, Harry shook slightly feeling the power settle comfortably in his belly, the power formed into three tattoo's, the first two were the Vongola's crest on the backs of his hands. The last was a shield, with a large X on it, on the side of his neck, on shield were the symbols of the guardians with two to a section of the X and in the middle the moon and Tsuna's crest sat side by side with Tsuna's crest slightly overlapping the moon.
Harry studied it calmly, lifting his eyes to everyone else's who had crowded around him to take a look, Yamamoto lightly grasped his hand and studied the ring smiling that carefree smile as he did so. Squalo, who had shut the door by now, blinked slightly and Tsuna was gaping, studying the tattoo's in awe.
"It's a nice ring." Yamamoto said with a nod, holding up his ring and lightly knocking Harry's fist with his own. When the rings met a burst of flames went up and Yamamoto's flames, which he had not yet learned to use, flickered black for a split second, the rain guardian moved back in surprise. "Wow, Tsuna, do what I just did to Harry's ring."
Tsuna, with a bewildered glance, did and the same event happened, Tsuna's sky flames, which he had again not learned to use yet, flickered black before fading to their normal colour. Tsuna blinked. "Wow. That's an awesome ring. It feels like I got a power boost from it." Here, Reborn took his cue, leaping onto Harry's hand and studying the rings and the tattoo's with a practiced eye.
"The Vongola I's guardian of elements was a surprising man, he had the ability to replenish his allies flames just by touching rings together but by doing that he was also slowly powering their flame capacity up, like widening your stomach's ability to store food when you eat a lot. I assume this is what happened here." Reborn said at length, lightly bumping the arcobaleno's pacifier against the ring and smiling when he glowed brightly.
Harry allowed Reborn to leap onto his shoulder again before he brought out the twin sai's, studying the pure black blades with a practiced eye, they had the Vongola crest on the top with an x resting lightly on the hilt. Harry smiled slightly, sending a silent thanks to Timoteo.
"VOOOOI! Let me see, runt!" Squalo yelled, yanking Harry's hand curiously.
A while later as the sun set Harry was walking on his own along he deserted streets of Namimori, quite aware of the not so quiet person following him nervously. He didn't mind though, he knew whoever it was wasn't going to hurt him as he could feel no killing intent at all so when an object came from the person, he didn't dodge and allowed it to hit him hard, his body disappearing in a cloud of pink smoke and reappearing in the middle of a room where an older version of Squalo and a few others were lounging, at his appearance though they sprang up startled and Harry blinked confusedly, tilting his head
".. WHAT THE HECK?"
Authors note:
A lengthy next day chappeh for yous! =D I'm enjoying this storeh so review for me and I'll see if I can't get out another chapter tomorrow. Also, when I say the back of the hand for Harry's tattoo's I mean the side opposite to the palm! =D